23Mar17

Westminster Attacker Was 'Peripheral Figure' In Earlier Investigation, May Says

The man who carried out a deadly attack near Britain's Parliament was known to police and intelligence
services, and had previously been investigated, Prime Minister Theresa May told the House of Commons
on Thursday. She said the man was British-born.

"Some years ago, he was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He
was a peripheral figure; the case was historic; he was not part of the current intelligence picture," May
said of the attacker. She added that investigations continue.

"Our working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology," the prime minister said.

Calling it "an attack on free people everywhere," May said, "We are not afraid, and our resolve will never
waver in the face of terrorism."

Britain's Metropolitan Police have made eight arrests and searched six addresses in Birmingham and
London as part of a counter-terrorism operation in response to the attack that killed a police officer and
two civilians and wounded several others around 2:40 p.m. local time Wednesday.

Police believe the attacker acted alone. And while they know his identity, they're not releasing that
information yet.

May also shared more details about the attack and those it harmed, saying it injured around 40 people.
Of three police officers who were wounded, two remain in hospital.

The wounded are from around the world, May said. In addition to 12 Britons, there are four South
Koreans, three French children, two Romanians, two Greeks, along with nationals of the U.S., Germany,
Poland, Ireland, China, Italy and other nations.

Speaking of slain police Officer Keith Palmer, 48, a husband and father who had previously been in the
military, May said, "He was every inch a hero, and his actions will never be forgotten."

As we reported yesterday:

"Authorities say a small SUV barreled into pedestrians along the sidewalk of Westminster Bridge, causing
multiple 'catastrophic injuries' to pedestrians. ... After striking the pedestrians on the bridge, the SUV then
crashed into the fence that surrounds Parliament. A man armed with a knife emerged and stabbed a
police officer before being shot to death by police."

When the attacker was finally stopped, he had come within 20 yards of Parliament's gate, May said.

[Source: By Bill Chapel, Oregon Public Broadcasting, 23Mar17]

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